Absorbent articles of the above mentioned kind are known, which have longitudinally extending leak barriers alongside the absorbent structure. These leak barriers, also called containment or barrier flaps, have a free laterally inward elasticized side and a laterally outward side, wherein the elasticized side of the leak barrier is raised from the inner cover of the absorbent article. Such raised leak barriers help to reduce the occurrence of leakage of body exudates from the absorbent articles.
Absorbent articles often have an absorbent core that is narrower in the crotch region. Applying the leak barriers to the article with a distance between the leak barriers that is adapted to the width of the absorbent core in the narrow crotch region may result in a distance between the leak barriers in the front and back regions of the article that is too small, especially for articles having a big difference in width of the absorbent core in the crotch region and the front and back regions respectively.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,620,145 discloses a diaper provided with raised leak barriers, which in the crotch area of the diaper are adhered to the body facing sheet of the article at a location inwardly of the laterally outward side of the leak barrier, so that the raised height of the leakage barrier is less in the crotch region than in the front and back regions of the diaper.
US 2004/0127882 discloses a pant diaper provided with leak barriers having a laterally outward side that follows the contours of the leg openings of the diaper.
WO 97/29722 discloses a method of attaching a leak barrier to an absorbent article in a curved manner. The leak barrier has at least one edge parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the article and is bonded to the article along a juncture line that extends in a curved configuration with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the article.
JP 2002-058703 discloses a method of forming a diaper cover from a rectangular piece of material. Leg holes are cut inside the longitudinal side edges of the piece of material, which is then folded inwards along longitudinal folding lines crossing the holes, so as to create an inwardly directed leg contour in each longitudinal side edge. The inwardly folded portions are elasticized to form leak barriers having a lower height in the crotch area.
JP 2006-051269 discloses a diaper provided with leak barriers having a laterally outward side attached to the outer cover by adhesive lines that follows the contours of the leg openings of the diaper. Thus the space between the leak barriers is narrower in the crotch portion than in the front and back regions.
EP-A-0 913 137 discloses an absorbent article comprising a pair of outer leak barriers and a pair of inner leak barriers. The inner leak barriers extend at least over the crotch portion of the article and the outer leak barriers extend over the entire length of the article.